Translation of Safety Drill Article
Ronal Infante
SPAN 315
Due 11/7/2012
Source: http://www.excelsior.com.mx/node/859852
“Large-scale safety drill garners a lack of interest”
By Francisco Pazos
While emergency and rescue teams worked together, a large part of the population did not take their
participation in the exercise seriously
MEXICO CITY, September 20. - The participation of the population in the 2012 safety drill was
characterized by contrasting scenarios.
While emergency response teams executed their protocols as planned, the population lacked interest in
some parts of Mexico City.
At the intersection of Eje Central and Arcos de Belén, in the borderlines of the neighborhoods Centro and
Doctores, lies the location of one of the greatest points of seismic hazard to the capital.
In that corner there are two buildings, both showing signs of structural damage that were identified by the
Government of Mexico City as special interest sites.
Despite this risk, the residents of the building located at number 10 of Arcos de Belén, closed June 20th
and reopened three days later, calmly completed the drill.
The drill began at exactly 10:00 am, following the simulation of the drill that an earthquake of 8.1 Richter
would impact the capital.
Members of seven civilian care brigades waited on the median strip so that the residents of the buildings
could execute the evacuation protocols and the ensuing evacuation.
A few seconds later, about 150 people began evacuating the building to seek shelter on the sidewalk.
The outflow of the workers took the officers of the Subsecretaría de Control de Tránsito, who were
preparing street closures, by surprise.
“A colleague informed me and they just told us we had to leave. No alarms went off nor did they give us
any explanation, just that we should exit slowly,” explained an employee who omitted his name.
Something similar happened in the buildings located in Salto del Agua station of Line 1 of the Metro,
where no drill was taking place.
In another building, located at the intersection of Arcos de Belén and Doctor Andrade, internal brigades
organized the employees and applied the necessary preventive measures.
"We began at the sound of a whistle. The earthquake lasted two minutes in which we leaned back on the
center, load-bearing walls and under desks and tables. 32 people participated, "said Gabriel Ángeles.
Translation of Safety Drill Article
Ronal Infante
SPAN 315
Due 11/7/2012
In contrast, the emergency teams located there applied the necessary maneuvers before the planned
damage drill.
"The drill was due to a building that hit an adjacent glass tower, which caused the collapse of three upperlevels floors, leaving 52 victims," explained Victor Manuel Hernández, head of Emergency Command.
Emergency brigades, the group of paramedics trained in search and rescue in collapsed structures, of the
Rescue and Medical Emergency Squad and of the Heroic Body of Firefighters were sent out.
Representatives of the capital, those responsible for the drill at the time, were disappointed that there is
still a lack of interest in the community.
"Only right after a strong earthquake is the need for training and drills reborn and taken into account" said
the representative.
Participation in drill brakes records
From the Command and Control, Communications, Computing, Information, Intelligence, Investigation
and Integration (C4i4) Center, the head of the Mexico City government, Marcelo Ebrard, oversaw the
evacuation of buildings and the dispatch of emergency teams that participated in the 2012 version of
Macrosimulacro.
According to the first record received by Civil Protection, 17,204 buildings and 6,773,000 citizens were
involved in this civic drill, thus surpassing the previous year's figure of 6,079,008 citizens and 15,000
buildings.
Accompanied by the secretaries of Civil Protection, Construction, Health, Finance, Social Development,
Water Systems, and the Attorney General’s office, the mayor stressed the importance of participating in
the Macrosimulacro seriously in order to assess the level of preparation of the authorities and that of
society in the event of a major earthquake.
Translation of Safety Drill Article
Ronal Infante
SPAN 315
Due 11/7/2012
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Bahía: a bay
Bioingeniería: bioengineering☺
Centenares: hundreds
Comité: a committee
Comprende: to encompass/comprise
Concedió: granted
Concertar: to match
Contundente: convincing
Corcho: a cork
Corriente: a draft
Dar abasto: to cope/handle
Departamento: a province/state
Desbordado: overflowing
Encallar: to collide
Escolleras: sea walls
Esparcir: to spread
Estado civil: marital status
Estandarizar: standardize
Exhortar: to urge
Intendencia: City Hall
Manija: a handle
Manojo: a bundle
Muros de contención: levees
Pasmado: astonished
Polémica: controversial
Rambla: a boardwalk
Recaudar: to collect/raise
Suecia: Sweden
Suscitar: to produce
Vigilia: alert/keen